Something Strange
by SimplyDonna
Summary: DRACO AND HERMIONE Roleplay I did with a friend. Pretty good if you ask me! Give it a read! ]
1. Chapter 1

**Alrightyyyyy! Here's just a quick story that a friend and I did back and forth. I wrote the Hermione parts, while he wrote the Draco parts. The rest to come soon!**

Draco sighed as he strolled the corridors of Hogwarts, never had he felt more conflicted. There was a part of him who wanted to continue the traditions of his father, but another part that wanted nothing more than to break free.

Hermione sat by herself, gazing out at the lake from the comfort of the school hallway. She was flustered from trying, yet not succeeding, to get Harry and Ron to finish the essay she had already perfected. She didn't know what to do with her time now, so she sat, admiring the view, while wishing for something to come along and give her some form of excitement.

Stepping out of Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy made his way down to the lake, still absorbed in his thoughts. Past the other students who couldn't even begin to comprehend what he...as well as Harry and his group of friends had been through. Yes, they had all read about it in their magical newspapers, but they didn't know. Not like he did, not like Harry did.

Hermione knew she shouldn't be so hard on Harry and Ron. She knew everything they had gone through, the pain and the conflict. And its still happening. She herself hadn't smiled in what seemed like years. What used to bring her happiness, the little moments with her friends, the people of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and just magic in general, left her feeling numb. Devoid of feeling.

Speak of the Devil...Draco mused to himself with a weary smile as the lake came into focus. "The Trio", as they had become known throughout the Wizard World were all together. Harry and Ron were goofing around, as usual and Hermione appeared to be deep in thought...as usual. For a moment, he stood there, fixated on her. He was forever curious to what she could be thinking, but she would likely never tell him.

Footsteps approaching her made Hermione turn towards the sound. Harry and Ron continued obliviously. The footsteps belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. The cause of much of her discomfort. She let out a sigh, knowing things could escalate any second now. Hermione hated the way Draco looked at her, as if she was just a puzzle waiting to be solved. She was more than that.

His feelings towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione had changed over the years. Whether that was a result of their actions earning his respect, or the fact that he was growing into his own man, away from what his father had envisioned wasn't for certain. He had to act as though he hated them, but the truth is that he didn't. Not anymore. Draco nodded to Hermione, raising his hands slightly as though to say he meant her no harm and walked away, to find a part of the lakeside he could call his own.

Hermione was confused. Had he just...walked away? Draco was not the guy to avoid confrontation, or at least, he had always liked starting things in the past. Yet, there he went, a little further away towards the lake. Hermione knew he had seen her and the boys. Was Draco waiting for the opportune moment?

Sitting down on the ground, Draco put his forehead against his knees and closed his eyes. He didn't hate them, but it was too late to go back now. Besides, if he did his father would certainly disown him and even though he was a part of something he didn't want to be, there was at least that sense of honor that came along with.

Hermione could still see him, sitting on the ground, face turned down. He looked so glum, and she was instantly worried. Why was she worried? She was worried because she knew, somewhere deep inside, that she cared about the boy near her. She cared that he seemed upset, and she cared about helping make it better. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to attack with harsh words yet again. The past kept replaying itself in her mind.

There was a moment that he didn't talk about with anyone, his friends or otherwise. A few years earlier, when they were all a bit younger and a lot more stupid...he had the chance to kill Ron. He had followed the boy out to the field, away from the prying eyes of Albus Dumbledore and he could have killed him. No one would have known. Perhaps that was the turning point, Draco thought with a weary smile.

She realized she had been staring, and her cheeks flushed a bright color. She looked down, hoping Harry and Ron hadn't spotted her. She looked over at them, noticing they were still goofing around. They would never appreciate the way her thoughts had been turning. They hated Draco, and would practically disown her just for worrying about the boy on the ground.

Draco looked up to see that Hermione had been starring at him. Rather than scowl, he did something that she wouldn't have expected, and in truth something that he never would have thought possible. He raised one hand and waved to her. It was a meek wave, as though fully acknowledging just how ironic the motion was. With that, he stood up, looked at her one more time and walked further down the lake, out of eye sight of Harry and Ron.

Hermione was shocked, utterly and completely shocked. Had he waved? She couldn't be sure, maybe it was a trick of the light. There was no way Draco Malfoy had done something civil. The worst part was that she couldn't help but feel a little happy he had waved. She hated that she sounded like a young school girl on the playground. She quickly glanced at her two best friends, still oblivious to the world, gathered her things and made her way back into the castle.


	2. Chapter 2

**2nd part! Still more to come. Draco's part written by a friend, Hermione's by me. =]**

For a moment, Draco turned to see if Hermione had followed him. He felt like such a little shit letting himself feel such emotions, things that his father would tell him represented weakness more than anything else but there was another part, a bigger part that could have cared less. For a moment, she hadn't followed him. In the next, she was there.

Hermione had no idea what she was doing. She approached the boy, the boy she had known from her very first day at Hogwarts. She had never liked him, had always heard the horrible things that had been said about him, and by him. She couldn't fathom speaking to him, yet there she was, approaching him.

"Hello Hermione.", he said to her in a tone that only she could hear. There was nothing about his voice that was antagonizing, nothing that would have denoted that he was speaking to her with anything less than the respect that she deserved, something that had been solely lacking.

She was surprised at his voice, never hearing such a sweet sound come from his mouth. In the back of her brain, her mind was screaming at her that this was a trick, and somehow he would upset her, yet the only thing to escape her lips was, "Hello Draco."

He looked around for a moment, hoping that Harry and Ron wouldn't come over the hill, but also hoping that his own stooges wouldn't make their appearance. This was a moment between the two of them, and he wanted it to stay that way. "I...", he paused for a moment, unsure of himself. "...I'm sorry."

Her eyebrows furrowed together, everything in her entire being telling her to walk away, leave him alone. Yet she found herself glued to her spot, her eyes locked in his. He had apologized, for what she didn't know. He had done countless horrors, not just to her, but to others. Her best friends hated him, she knew they would disapprove. But, she couldn't leave. "For what?"

Do you know what the fucked up thing was? For all that Draco had done, for all the people that he had hurt, he had been so delusional for so long that a part of him thought that a simple apology would suffice. That all changed when she asked him what he was apologizing for. The moment he had to think about the extent of what he did, to those he hurt...it was as though he had been struck in the chest. "For everything.", he looked to her with eyes that he had never shown to anyone before, eyes he never would have thought possible. There was sorrow and so, so much regret.

Hermione knew a thing or two, everyone professed she was the most clever witch at Hogwarts. Yet, that all meant nothing right now. At this moment, she didn't have a clue what to do. She could tell, and it was obvious, that he was being genuine. But, it was Draco Malfoy. The guy who picked on innocent little Neville Longbottom in our first year. The guy who called me a mudblood. The guy my friends and many others detested. And yet, here he is, saying he's sorry for everything.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3, same deal, friend wrote Draco's part, I wrote Hermione's. IF YOU READ, PLEASE REVIEW!**

He looked to her, not as though he expected her forgiveness, but to let her know that there was so much more he could have done before this point to keep him from having to atone. All he could offer her was himself, lay out bare before her. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, nor do I expect it. I just need to get this off. All of it."

"Draco..I just..I don't understand." And she really didn't. Hermione could tell he was sincere, but this wasn't the Draco she knew standing in front of her. This guy seemed sweet and kind, completely different from the Draco Malfoy she had grown up with. She was just waiting for the awful switch to happen.

"I can't blame anyone for the things I've done except for myself.", Draco whispered to her as he leaned in, so that this conversation would stay between the two of them. There were eyes everywhere and if any were to see the two of them talking, they'd both be at risk. His breath warm against her neck. "I'm sorry that I've made life so hard, particularly for you and Harry."

She stopped breathing as she felt his warm breath on her neck. Their proximity was overwhelming, but there was no way she could step back. She was too involved now. She vaguely noticed people walking around them, and could only hope Harry and Ron were still goofing around, paying her and Draco no attention. "Draco..why are you doing this?"

Each word that escaped him sending waves of gentle warmth against the pulse of her neck. "Because there is every chance that you or I might die in this war we're caught in." Pausing for a moment, he gathered himself. "I've come to terms with that a long time ago, but I need to make peace with you. I need it.

She listened to him, every word. She knew he was right, there was a very real chance they wouldn't make it through this, maybe not even through this year. But, could she really make peace with him? "Draco..I don't know."

"I knew you'd say something like that and I understand that you have every right to not forgive me.". Slipping his arms through her own, he pulled her gently into a hug. Resting his head against the side of her own, his whispers against her earlobe. "You have no idea how long I dreamed of hugging you." He said with a weak smile.

She wanted to pull back, she knew she should. But, she couldn't. For the first time...the first time in years, she felt safe. She couldn't deny that her stomach had exploded with butterflies. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him, responding to the hug.

Draco froze for a moment as he felt her arms slip around him. For a moment, he went weak but braced himself against her. Tilting his head to the side, pressing his lips softly against her pulse.

She couldn't breathe, not even if she tried. Hermione felt his warm and gentle lips on her neck, making her slightly gasp. She quickly pulled away, evading his eyes, while tears sprang to her own. She thought now he was finally teasing her, finally switching to the Draco she knew.

"Hermione...", he reached out to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I hurt you at all. I wasn't thinking.". Those last words left him as though he were admonishing himself for letting his heart get the better of him. "Please come with me.". He said softly, his eyes transfixed on her. "I need to be alone with you unless we give all of Hogwarts reason to gossip."

Should she go with him? No doubt she would regret it. But, his eyes had softened, and she left herself be guided away from the lake and back into an abandoned hallway in the school. "Draco.."

Turning to face her as they entered the hallway, Draco spoke to her in a soft tone though more audible than before. "My father taught me that you were my enemy. So much of my energy was put towards you, an adolescent hatred...but in certain moments I would think pf ypu and I could not reason why."

"Draco, you were so horrible." Hermione couldn't let the past escape her mind. She knew Harry and Ron would be angry seeing her like this, she was angry herself. Why couldn't she just walk away? He wasn't forcing her, that she knew, but she simply was stuck in place.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4, i dont know if there will be more, maybe, maybe not! =]**

"My father taught me to hate you, and other mud...". He paused, shaking his head down in shame. "...but ultimately it is me who did those things, said those words.". Looking back up at her, he searched her expression for a forgiveness he did not deserve. "I'm sorry. More than I'll ever be able to express."

She had heard him, he almost said it. Mudblood. How could she believe him? After years and years of harassment, could she really believe he had changed so much? Hermione was conflicted. She wanted to forgive him, she really did, but she was torn. "I'm-I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this."

All he could do was look at her, a realization of just how cruel he had been to her sweeping over him. "Just know that you are a better person than I have ever been, than most of the people in this world could ever aspire to be.". Sliding down the wall, his eyes still locked on her. "I was wrong about you. I was wrong about almost everything."

She slowly stepped back, trying to keep the tears from floating down her cheeks. She knew she had to walk away, or she would inevitably get hurt. How could she trust Draco? It would take something major, something shocking to get her to trust him. As she walked away, she couldn't help from turning back, and whispering just loud enough for him to hear, "So was I."

With that, he sprung up and approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't harsh but enough to startle her back. "You can't be serious...", his words forceful. "...you aren't wrong, Hermione. You're smart, of course...but you feel things, they resonate with you more true than anything. You aren't wrong."

She shook her head adamantly, not wanting to reveal that she was in fact wrong about something. Wrong about him. She always thought he was incapable of any humanoid emotion, but he's here, right in front of me, clearly showing me that is not the case. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because you represent more than you'll ever realize. Harry and Ron care for you so much but even they don't see what you are, inside and out." Releasing his grip on her shoulder, he matched her gaze with his own. "You're what I've seen as right for so long now."

"Draco...we've never even had a proper conversation before." She tried to walk away, but she stopped again when she saw the hurt flash through his eyes. Why couldn't she just force herself to leave?

"It doesn't matter!", he screamed in frustration as tears began to well around his eyes. "You're all that I've ever thought about, no other woma...". He stopped, looked down and went quiet.

As soon as she saw the tears forming in his eyes, she stopped fighting it. Draco would never, not in a million years, ever go this far just for a laugh. He's actually opening up to her, and she could tell he was genuine. "Draco..it's okay."

All he could do was stare back, any sembelence of a shell completely chipped away. "In my intimate thoughts, I would always think of you. You were in my thoughts. Hatred at first, but then I'd think of you, the more I respected you. The more I matured. I...", he looked back to her, frustrated and vulnerable.

She simply nodded, trying not to show the way his words were making her feel. "I never liked you. How could I?" She whispered, avoiding his eye. "But deep down, I cared. And I hoped."

Slipping his hand behind her head, he drew her into a soft kiss, the warmth of his lips gently suckling against her bottom lips. Eyes slid closed slowly as he released all of those feelings he had bottled up against her lips.

She knew this shouldn't happen, but the moment his lips came into contact with her own, her eyes drifted shut. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and nothing like she could have ever imagined from Draco Malfoy. This was a whole new, and a little scary, experience for her, but she wasn't pulling back.

His arms slip around her waist, holding her in place as his lips caress her own, tasting her soft flesh as his body radiates for her. Breaking the kiss, he trails them down to the pulse of her neck and suckles softly, soft murmurs of moans vibrating against it, against her.

She slowly glided her arms around his neck, playing with his hair, pulling him impossibly closer. She didn't know what she was doing, had no idea, but it felt right.

His hands caressed her body, fingertips and palms gently massaging against her curves as his lips and tongue continued to play against her pulse. Warm, wet flicks of his tongue against her pulse.

She lost all sense of direction, and would have fallen over were it not for his steady grip on her waist. They pulled away from their embrace, foreheads resting against each other, arms still wrapped around the other. "Uh.."


	5. Chapter 5

**Short little part. =]**

Raising a hand to his head, a small smile forming across his lips as the realization that he blushed came down over him, Draco looked to her. "I can't tell you why I did that, or what compelled me to do so. All I can say is that I am so glad that I did."

Hermione couldn't help a small grin from sliding across her face. "I would say I hated it, and want nothing to do with you, but I think we both know I'd be lying."

Placing a hand to his lips, he touched them lightly, that smile of his quickly turning to a grin. "Somehow I don't imagine that Harry, or especially Ron would be happy with this."

She couldn't help but to burst out in a fit of giggles. "No, I wouldn't assume they would be. They don't especially like you, not that they don't have reason to."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6! =] Same deal, I wrote Hermione's parts, a friend wrote Draco's. I'm assuming there will be part 7, so just you wait! Review please!**

For a moment, he stood there in silence looking down. She was right after all, he had done nothing to earn the respect of those around him. That led him to just one question, "Then why are you attracted to me?"

She couldn't help but tease him, "I never said I was attracted to you." She knew it was obvious, due to the fact they had just been making out, but in all truth, she had never said the words. Besides, Harry and Ron didn't own her.

"Oh, right. I get it", He said with a playful smirk, touching his finger to his lips. "You make out with your worst enemies because you AREN'T attracted to them." Placing his hand against her chest, he held her against the wall and smiled playfully. "There's more to it than that."

She let out a giggle, but it didn't reach her eyes. If Harry and Ron could see her now, they'd be so disappointed. "Then what is it?" He's right, we're worst enemies, how would this ever work?

Giving her chest a playful squeeze, Draco studied her eyes for a moment before responding. "Well, either you've felt this way about me for was long as I have, or there's a darker side to you. Something you haven't shared with others."

Hermione just laughed, they both knew there was nothing dark about her whatsoever. She then realized she wasn't entirely sure about herself, if she was here with Draco, her sworn enemy, was she in reality as pure as she thought? "How long have you felt this way?"

"I won't lie to you and tell you that I had always felt the way that I do about you." Draco responded in the most apologetic of tones. "I guess I first realized I was attracted to you a few years ago. There aren't many people in this world that I respect and even though we were enemies, I respected you a great deal."

She thought back to third year, where she had punched him, and suddenly she felt guilty. "Why would you respect me? I punched you!"

"Actually...that was the moment that I fell for you.", Draco said with an earnest smile. "Yes, I whined about it immediately after, but in the days and weeks that followed, the fact that you were not only intelligent, but empowered as well. That was when I began to respect you."

She smiled slightly at the ground, a blush creeping on her cheeks. "So, since third year huh?"

Pressing his lips softly against her forehead, he nodded to her. "Since that moment and ever since. You have been in many of my thoughts."

She sighed, more conflicted than ever. "Draco, what are we going to do? Harry and Ron will never understand, and, like it or not, they're my best friends."

"As well they should be. After all, those two were there for you when you needed them the most. Not many people can say that." Glancing to her, he smiled. "What do you suggest?"

She thought about it. "They'll never allow it. You're going to have to try to be with civil with them. Get them to trust you," And then she whispered, "Get me to trust you."

Hearing what she whispered, he stared at her for a moment. It wasn't an angry stare, but one of sympathy and understanding. "You're right Hermione, I have a lot of bridges to mend."

She tried to deny what he said, but she couldn't find a single way, so she limply nodded. "Draco, where does this leave us?"


	7. Chapter 7

"There's a lot that I need to do, and no matter what I do I won't be able to make things right...but I'll spend the rest of my life trying if I have to. Not just with you, but with everyone I've hurt."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to? Do you really think you can atone for all that you've done? I mean, you have to understand, I hope you can, I really do. But, do you think you could ever do it?"

"I have spent the last couple years of my life hurting as many people as I can so that means that in order to atone, I will have to spend the rest of my life making things right or that I'll have to die in the service of what I believe is right."

"And what is that? What do you believe is right? How are you ever going to convince anyone that you've suddenly changed and seen the light?"

"I'm not going to convince anyone with my words, Hermione.", Draco said with a determination previously unseen. "What I believe right is what you and the others have been fighting for, and I'm going to fight too."

She suddenly felt hopeful, "You mean, you're going to go against your entire family, and help defeat evil?" She wanted to believe it, and she was on the very verge of doing so, yet she still had doubts.

Nodded solemnly, he looked down to the ground as though he were gathering his thoughts. "I love my family and I always will, but in the end I have to do what is right, and hurting people is clearly not the way to go."

"I'm glad you feel that way." And she really was. Hermione felt like finally there was something going right. The fact that Draco Malfoy...a MALFOY, was admitting he had been wrong, it was far too good to be true.


End file.
